The Best Japanese Rice Cooker
Table of Contents
Your Ultimate Guide to The Best Japanese Rice Cookers
Rice has become an important aspect of many civilizations. It is a cheap and versatile grain that is utilized and enjoyed by various cuisines throughout the world. Rice can be eaten alone, as a side dish, or as a basic component in a variety of meals such as fried rice, sushi, onigiri, and many more. Without a doubt, rice is an important aspect of Asian culture.
Nowadays, several Japanese electronic and homeware manufacturers such as Mitsubishi, Zojirushi, Panasonic, Tiger, and Toshiba have manufactured popular rice cookers with varying functions that have become a household staple. Today, we’ll look at the best Japanese rice cookers that can make soft and delicious rice for your daily consumption.
Which is the top one?
Editor's Choice  Best Overall |  Best Value Rice Cooker |  Best Smart Rice Cooker |
Zojirushi NS-ZCC18This Zojirushi is one of the best rice cookers in the market today with its various settings, easy-to-read display, and non-stick inner pot. | Aroma Housewares ARC-914SBDWith a sizable yield, this Aroma rice cooker won't let you down in the kitchen. Its keep-warm function ensures your rice is perfect for hours. | CHEF iQ Smart Pressure CookerThis is the rice cooker of the future. Controllable via smartphone, this cooker is incredibly easy to set up and use. |
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Let’s go over each one
#1: Zojirushi NS-ZCC18
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If you’re looking for the best Japanese rice cooker to invest in, look no further than the made-in-Japan Zojirushi NS-ZCC18 Rice Cooker and Warmer. What makes this rice cooker stand out from your basic rice cooker and other Japanese models is its advanced Computerized Fuzzy Logic technology, which allows the cooker to think for itself.
This Zojirushi rice cooker masters your preferred cooking cycle and then adjusts its temperature and heating time accordingly so that you can yield perfect rice every time.
Not only can induction heating rice cookers like this cook regular rice perfectly, but they also feature settings that allow you to cook different rice and grain varieties, from short grain rice to brown rice to rinse-free rice to mixed rice and oats to quinoa. We also love that it comes in two sizes, so you can choose between the 5.5-cup model or the 10-cup model depending on your household’s rice consumption. The features of this rice cooker are out of this world and it’s truly not a wonder why the Zojirushi NS-ZCC18 is hailed as one of the best Japanese rice cookers out there.
Pros and Cons of the Zojirushi NS-ZCC18 Rice Cooker and Warmer
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ Wide range of settings for cooking brown rice and other types of rice ✔️ IH rice cooker ✔️ Easy-to-read LCD display ✔️ Non-stick inner cooking pan ✔️ Comes with a rice spoon holder ✔️ Available in two sizes: 5.5 cups or 10 cups | ✖️ Less suitable for beginners ✖️ Expensive rice cooker |
#2: Aroma Housewares ARC-914SBD
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This Aroma Housewares rice cooker includes four built-in, quick-cooking presets, including regular rice, brown rice, keep rice warm, steam, delay timer, and flash rice. With these cooking modes, users can craft a wide range of delicious meals aside from their usual steamed rice. With an 8-cup capacity, this rice cooker is the ideal size for single-serving meals throughout the day or for a small family.
This electric rice cooker consists of easy-to-operate programmable digital controls and a keep-warm function that can keep your rice at the perfect temperature all day. It has a single-pot cooking feature that lets you cook everything in a single go like vegetables, fish, shrimp, dumplings, and any other foods at the top with rice cooking at the bottom.
The 15-hour delay feature allows you to plan your meal beforehand. The pack contains a steam tray, a rice measuring cup, a serving spatula, a user manual, and exclusive recipes and coupons in order to have a variety of options while cooking.
With a stainless steel exterior, this cooker is durable and easy to wipe off. Its inner cooking pot is made of bonded granite that is nonstick and dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning. The rice cooker includes a steam cooking plate, inner pan, measuring cups, and a serving spatula.
Pros and Cons of the Aroma Housewares ARC-914SBD
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ Features a keep-warm function ✔️ Quickly cooks uncooked rice ✔️ Can cook more than just rice ✔️ Durable stainless steel exterior ✔️ Dishwasher safe ✔️ Comes with several accessories | ✖️ Does not feature fuzzy logic technology |
#3: CHEF iQ Smart Pressure Cooker
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If you’re looking for a rice cooker that you can control using your phone, then this one’s for you. With either an iOS or Android phone, users can access over 300 cooking presets to not only cook perfect rice, but also delicious meals, including meat, poultry, veggies, and more.
Chef iQ has designed an elegant rice cooker with an internal scale to weigh items quickly and easily, while the Chef iQ app allows access to more than 100 recipes, including ones for cooking rice perfectly. It holds up to 6 quarts and has three automatic steam release options. This cooker comes with a steam rack and steam basket and a nonstick inner pan that makes it easy to clean up after every meal.
Pros and Cons of the CHEF iQ Smart Pressure Cooker
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ Compatible with iOS and Android smartphones ✔️ Easy and convenient setup and use ✔️ Several cooking modes, including pressurized cooking ✔️ Has induction heating to make flawless rice ✔️ Keeps rice warm for several hours | ✖️ Requires WiFi to function |
#4: DASH Mini Rice Cooker
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This small Japanese rice cooker by DASH may be compact, but it’s a high quality rice cooker that can cook rice perfectly and quickly. It is very easy to use and has two cooking settings: cooker and warm. The first will cook rice at an ideal cooking temperature and time while the second will keep rice warm and evenly cooked while the rest of the meal is still cooking.
With a maximum capacity of 2 cups, this mini version is an excellent choice for single-serve needs. It comes in five colors, including aqua, black, pink, red, and white. Its compact size makes it great for smaller spaces or kitchens with limited storage options. DASH also included accessories in the box.
Pros and Cons of the DASH Mini Rice Cooker
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ Straightforward to use ✔️ Compact and light size ✔️ Comes in 5 colors | ✖️ Fewer features compared to other rice cookers made in Japan |
#5: Hamilton Beach Digital Programmable Rice Cooker and Warmer
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This programmable cooker features menu settings for different cooking options such as cooking jasmine rice, sushi rice, sticky rice, sweet rice, mixed rice, porridge, congee, and brown rice, as well as steam and slow cooking settings.
Included in the Hamilton Beach Rice Cooker and Warmer is a two-in-one rinser and steamer basket so the rice can be rinsed and then cooked in a single container. The inner cooking pan has a nonstick coating for easy washing.
Its large capacity of 14 measuring cups of cooked rice makes it ideal for big families and meal prepping, as well as a keep-warm function that allows for fresh and fluffy rice all day. The stainless steel construction of this versatile rice cooker is sturdy and will hold up over time, even with daily use.
Pros and Cons of the Hamilton Beach Digital Programmable Rice Cooker and Warmer
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ Multiple cooking functions ✔️ Cooks not just rice but other food as well ✔️ Induction heating to evenly cook the rice and keep rice warm for several hours ✔️ 14-cup capacity ✔️ Durable stainless steel exterior | ✖️ Bulky size ✖️ Higher price point |
#6: CUCKOO CR-0655F
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Whether you want perfectly cooked rice and grains or other meals altogether, this induction heating rice cooker can fit any of your cooking needs. One of the most popular cookers around, this Cuckoo rice cooker has eight built-in programmable settings, making it quick to get food started and keep your rice at an optimal temperature all day. It even has additional options that allow you to make baby food, mixed grains, porridge, or use it as a slow cooker for meats and more.
It also uses fuzzy logic technology to identify the type of rice and cook it at the optimal temperature and cooking time for consistently quality delicious rice every time. It has a 6-cup capacity, and the nonstick Teflon coating makes it extra easy to clean.
The outside of this rice cooker is made of white and red plastic but has an aluminum removable inner pot. The cover inside detaches from the top for cleaning, but there’s also an auto steam cleaning setting that uses a strong jet of steam to sanitize the cooking pot and the rest of the interior. Cuckoo also included accessories in the package to help you attain perfectly cooked rice in the most convenient way.
Pros and Cons of the CUCKOO CR-0655F
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ Easy-clean setup ✔️ Settings for cooking different types of rice such as GABA, brown rice, sushi rice, and others ✔️ Quick-cooking options ✔️ Comes with additional presets to make baby food, porridge, and more | ✖️ Plastic outer is less durable |
#7: Toshiba Low Carb Digital Programmable Multi-functional Rice Cooker
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Japanese cookers like this one make it easier for you to enjoy the benefits of living a healthier life with less effort. It is ideal for health-conscious individuals as it is equipped for cooking rice and making it lower carb, removing at least 37% of the unwanted and considerably unhealthy digestive starch from the rice.
This rice cooker has an LED display and eight pre-programmed settings that allow for cooking different varieties of rice, grains, and foods like white and brown rice, mixed grains, quinoa, steam, soup, stew, and oatmeal.
It also features advanced fuzzy technology which allows the rice cooker to make the necessary adjustments to the cooking time and cooking temperature for evenly cooked rice that you can keep warm all day.
Pros and Cons of the Toshiba Low Carb Rice Cooker
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ Creates low-carb tasty rice ✔️ Has a carb-reducing stainless steel inner pot ✔️ Induction heating system rice cooker ✔️ Removes unwanted starch from uncooked rice ✔️ Settings for cooking different rice types ✔️ Features fuzzy logic technology | ✖️ Higher price point |
#8: Zojirushi NS-TSC10 Micom Rice Cooker
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Stainless steel cookers are a fantastic investment as they’re durable and great inductors for cooking rice that’s consistently warm and fluffy. The Zojirushi NS-TSC10 Micom Rice Cooker and Warmer is named as such as it has a smart microcomputer that is capable of cooking all types of rice perfectly. It also doubles as a steamer, allowing you to cook different foods at the top while the rice cooks at the bottom.
This Zojirushi Micom rice cooker and warmer also comes with a programmable timer, as well as additional functions like reheating and keep-warm modes. You can also change the beep signal and melody to suit your preference. The accessories include a cup to measure rice accurately, a food steamer basket, and a spatula.
Pros and Cons of the Zojirushi NS-TSC10 Micom Rice Cooker
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ Micom rice cooker ✔️ Durable stainless steel exterior ✔️ Also great for steaming vegetables, fish, and meat ✔️ Easy-to-read LCD display ✔️ Non-stick inner pot ✔️ Comes in 5.5-cup or 10-cup sizes | ✖️ Slightly longer cooking time |
#9: Tiger JNP-S10U-HU
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If you’re looking for something that still has a few key Japanese rice cooker features but is simpler to use, this device from Tiger is just the thing you need. It simplifies the process as much as possible by offering two functions, which are for cooking white rice and keeping it warm for up to 12 hours.
This large rice cooker features a dew collector and steam vent cap which are also removable, making the cleaning process simple and the lid handle remains cool to ensure you don’t burn your hands. Other high-quality components like the stainless steel exterior and non-stick interior coating are two essential parts that ensure optimal performance and long-lasting durability.
Pros and Cons of the Tiger JNP-S10U-HU
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ Provides up to 12 hours of warm rice ✔️ Durable stainless steel exterior ✔️ Comes in 4 sizes | ✖️ Fewer features compared to other rice cookers |
#10: Tiger JBX-B10U
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Just because you’re on a bit of a tighter budget doesn’t mean you can’t get yourself a good quality Japanese rice cooker. The Tiger JBX-B10U is sure to have all the features you’re looking for, such as the LCD control panel, eight pre-set programs, a quick-cooking function, and even a synchro-cooking that allows you to cook two meals simultaneously without them affecting each other’s flavor.
While not necessarily a mini cooker, it comes in a compact 5.5 cup size that can fit anywhere.
Pros and Cons of the Tiger JBX-B10U
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ Multiple cooking functions ✔️ Easy-to-read LCD display ✔️ Non-stick inner pot ✔️ More affordable price point | ✖️ Only comes in one compact size |
#11. Panasonic SR-42HZP Commercial Rice Cooker
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Cooking rice in large batches can be difficult to do over the stove. Not only will you have to wait for long periods between batches, but you also can’t be assured of keeping the rice quality consistent. To cook and serve flawless rice in food establishments, a large-scale Japanese cooker like the Panasonic SR-42ZHP is what you need.
This commercial cooker has a one-touch button that makes cooking simple and easy. Simply load your grains, add the appropriate amount of water, push the cook button, and it will do all the cooking for you. Once the rice is done, it will automatically switch to the Keep Warm mode. Furthermore, rice isn’t the only thing that this cooker can make. You can also use it to cook other grains and braise food as well.
Pros and Cons of the Panasonic SR-42ZHP
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔️ Large-capacity rice cooker ✔️ Keeps the rice quality consistent ✔️ One-touch operation ✔️ Automatic shut-off | ✖️ Pricey ✖️ Does not have advanced features |
How Do Japanese Rice Cookers Work?
Japanese rice cookers are a bit different from your conventional rice cooker. Regular electric rice cookers feature a simple bucket heater with a metal pot inside and a lid and cook uncooked rice at one setting, making the cooking experience very straightforward.
On the other hand, most Japanese cookers have several buttons and features that not only help in cooking regular rice but also help in cooking other grains easily. These are also steam pressurized meaning they require less water when cooking rice, creating perfect rice every time.
Are Japanese Rice Cookers Better?
If you regularly cook rice and other grains and are looking for a rice cooker that gives you different options, a Japanese rice cooker may be a better option for you than a traditional rice cooker.
While many rice cookers are capable of cooking different types of rice, cookers made in Japan tend to have many settings that can make your rice cooking process even faster and easier. The cooking modes can vary from one Japanese rice cooker brand to another but a lot of them have options to not only cook rice but make porridge, steam food, make stews, soups, noodles, congee, and bake bread as well.
What is the Best Japanese Brand Rice Cooker?
Zojirushi rice cookers are some of the best Japanese cookers in the market. In this guide, we named the Zojirushi NS-ZCC18 as the best, featuring advanced Fuzzy Logic technology that allows it to automatically adjust the temperature and heating time to cook rice perfectly every time.
While not on the list, another great rice cooker by Zojirushi is the NP-HCC10XH Induction Heating System Rice Cooker and Warmer. This rice cooker can make precise temperature adjustments to deliver perfectly cooked rice. Furthermore, as expected from Zojirushi, this Rice Cooker and Warmer is equipped with a multitude of cooking functions, an automatic Keep Warm function, and a delay timer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are any rice cookers made in Japan?
There are numerous high-quality rice cookers that are made in Japan. In fact, a lot of the top rice cooker brands hail from Japan. Some popular brands include Zojirushi, Tiger, and Panasonic.
What’s the best rice cooker in the world?
There is no single answer to this as the top rice cooker can vary according to a person’s cooking needs. However, if you’re looking for the most praised rice cookers across the globe, there is no doubt that Japanese cookers are the ones that first come to mind.
What is Japanese rice?
Japanese rice refers to short-grain or medium-grain rice cultivars of Japonica rice. When cooked, it has a fluffy and slightly sticky texture. It is usually served alongside Japanese food. This type of rice is also used for sushi rice.
What does Micom mean?
Micom is simply an abbreviation of “microcomputer.” This means that a Micom rice cooker has a built-in microcomputer that can control the desired rice cooking settings.
What is the smallest size of a rice cooker?
Mini rice cookers are perfect for single-servings and when you don’t need that much rice. Check out this guide for the best mini rice cookers on the market right now.
Is Tiger rice cooker a Japanese brand?
Tiger was founded and based in Osaka, Japan. A trusted Japanese rice cooker brand, Tiger has been producing rice cookers for the international market for about 20 years. Tiger was the first manufacturer to introduce Induction Heating, or IH, technology for rice cooking. It also offers several models that use fuzzy logic rice cooking technology.
Is Zojirushi made in Japan or China?
Zojirushi rice cookers are made in both Japan and China. However, rice cookers made in the latter are created for export purposes and, while capable of producing perfectly cooked rice, those made in Japan are considered to be of even higher quality.
Which is better, Tiger or Zojirushi?
Both are leading brands that can deliver perfectly cooked rice with ease. The right choice will depend on your budget and specific needs. Zojirushi usually employs advanced features to help individuals make delicious rice, while Tiger cookers often have simple, straightforward interfaces.
Which is better, Zojirushi or Cuckoo?
Zojirushi is a Japanese brand while Cuckoo is a Korean brand. Both options are excellent for making flawless rice. It all boils down to your budget and what you’re looking for in a rice cooker and warmer.
Are Panasonic rice cookers made in Japan?
Panasonic Japanese rice cookers are made in Japan and many models are available for purchase internationally.
Final Note
Made with durable, long-lasting, and high-grade material, Japanese rice cookers are some of the best purchases you could make if you’re someone who eats rice every day. Not only can most of them cook perfect rice every time, but they also feature settings that automatically let you cook different grains and foods.
If you’re looking to make an upgrade with your electronic rice cooker, these Japanese rice cooker brands are certainly the way to go. We also have a guide on the best rice cookers in the market you can check out. You can also check out our collection of delicious rice dishes that you can make in your rice cooker.
Editor’s Choice
Zojirushi NS-ZCC18
Zojirushi is one of the best Japanese cooker brands out there, and the Zojirushi NS-ZCC18 could also be one of the best Japanese induction rice cookers you can find in the market today. It features “Neuro-Fuzzy” technology, which sets aside this Japanese rice cooker from the rest. This Zojirushi rice cooker is equipped with a microcomputer and is capable of adjusting the cooking time and temperature to ensure optimal results each time it cooks rice.
Perhaps the best part about this Micom rice cooker is that it can cook different types of rice and grains, so you can also cook red or brown rice, glutinous rice, Japanese rice, quinoa, and other grains with it. The Japanese rice cooker also features a non-stick inner cooking pan and side handles that always stay cool. Zojirushi also includes a spatula and a holder as additional accessories.
With the colored LCD screen, you can choose your desired cooking settings with options like soft and hard white rice, rinse-free, porridge, and other settings. Thanks to the reheating and keep-warm cycles, you can ensure that your rice will keep warm. Additionally, you can use the delay timer to ensure a hot bowl of rice whenever you want it.
This device comes in two different sizes, so you can choose the ideal rice cooker size for you – either the compact-sized rice cooker that comes in two capacities: 5.5 cups or 10 cups.
